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CHAPTER TEN: PURPLE GOOSEBUMPS
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"Now turn to the left... beautiful," Elliott said as he shot two of the models.
"What's that noise?" one of them asked.
"That's the camera, sweetie," Elliott said.
"Oh!" she giggled.
"There it is again," the other one said.
Elliott heard it this time and looked around, but he knew the whole building was empty. He decided to forget about it and start shooting again but the noise came back.
"It's like a cracking," one of the models said.
At the same time, a louder roar and cracks were heard throughout the room and down came Finch from inside one of the ventilators.
"Finch!" Elliott protested.
"What? What?" Finch asked, trying to sound disoriented.
"How many times do I have to tell you that my shoots are closed set?" Elliott asked.
"Uh, let's see, you've been saying it for 8 years, so mathematically--"
"Alright, that's it. It's late, I wanna go home and I don't have the patience to deal with you right now," Elliott said and began to gather his things.
"Okay, you know, those leather pants are kinda tricky, so if you ladies need a little... slip of hand," Finch said seductively.
"Ew, stay away from me, you creep!" one of the models said and walked out.
"Well, I think it's cute. You know, I tutor junior high kids like you in the afternoons. So I know that you're having this urges now but trust me, when you grow up and meet that someone, it'll be extra special," the other model said, tapping Finch's head and walked out.
"Okay, that's starting to get old," Finch said.
"You wished. Junior high kids are more mature than you behave," Elliott said.
"Well, what do you want me to do? I'm almost 40 and I'm not getting any. I've gotta nail something before the tree dries up," Finch said.
"Well, maybe you should try the right approach," Elliott said.
"The right approach, that's cute. This coming from a man who nailed models like they were day of the week panties," Finch said.
"And that got me nowhere. But it wasn't until I did it the right way when I found fulfillment in sex," Elliott said.
"Seems you also found a defunct condom," Finch joked.
"Finch, go home and play with yourself," Elliott said and walked out.
"Ooh, I hit a rough spot. Don't worry, Elliott. Even the best of them are only 99% protective. I'm sure the quilted quicker picker upper you were using was a bad apple in a berry tree," Finch laughed as Elliott left. He turned around and his eyes focused on a pair of panties hanging from one of the lights.
Sneakily, he walked over and stuffed it in his coat pocket. "If you can't lick 'em, sniff 'em," he chuckled and left the room.
When Elliott made it to his apartment, he was tired and drained. He put his bag down and took his jacket off, putting it on the coat hanger. His answering machine was beaming a little red light and while he walked into the kitchen to pour himself some water, he let the messages play.
"Hey, dude. Um, I'm looking for an Anita, last name Mann. Get it? Anita Mann? Ha ha ha!" Finch's voice laughed and then there was a beep. Elliott only shook his head.
Another beep and another message. "Hi, this is Elizabeth York, from the NYU Medical Center. We're calling in regards to Maya Gallo."
Elliott frowned and immediately walked over.
"There's been a little emergency and I can't tell you much over the phone, so if you could get down here as soon as you can, please do. We're on the fifth floor, maternity ward--"
Elliott didn't wait for her to finish before he grabbed his jacket and quickly ran out his door.
A couple of minutes later, Elliott ran into the hospital, not really aware of where had left his car, the street or a parking lot. His heart was pounding loudly and if he ran any faster, he'd disappear. He pressed the button to the elevator over and over again, and when it didn't come, he just took the stairs. Finally he pushed the door to the fifth floor open and followed the signs until he reached the maternity ward, where a single nurse sat by the desk.
"Hi, I got a call about Maya Gallo, she was brought in earlier," he panted for air.
"Gallo. Do you know the room number?" the nurse asked.
"No, she was brought in an emergency. Is she okay?" Elliott said.
She stood up. "Calm down just a second."
"Don't tell me to calm down!" Elliott yelled.
"Mr. DiMauro?"
Elliott turned around to come face to face with one of the OBs they had seen earlier. He rushed over. "How's Maya? Is the baby okay?"
"Why don't we just sit down for a second?" she asked him politely, guiding him to a couple of chairs in the hallway.
Elliott sat down hesitantly. Those words could only mean bad news. His heart began to pound even louder.
The doctor had Maya's chart in her hands and she crossed her legs, facing him. "Maya started having contractions around 9:30 this afternoon, she called 911 and they brought her in. She was spotting and cramping, but she wasn't dilated. We were able to stop the contractions, but we're going to have to admit her for observation."
Elliott let out a sigh of semi relief. "What about the baby?"
"Baby's pressure dropped a little, but we were able to stabilize. It's doing fine, good heart rhythm," she said.
Elliott lowered his head, saying a silent prayer.
"But Maya needs to take better care of herself. She's stressing herself out too much and that's dangerous, for her and for the baby. She hasn't been eating well and she was dehydrated," she continued. "I suggested she take some time off work, but she might listen to you better."
Elliott just nodded his head. "Can I see her?"
"Of course," she smiled, standing up and guiding him down the hall, stopping in front of Maya's door. "She's sleeping and we gave her some medication for the pain, so she might be a little sluggish. If you need anything, just let the nurse know."
"Thank you," Elliott said appreciatively.
The doctor walked away and he opened the door slowly. Inside, the room was only partly lit, and he stood by the door for a moment, watching Maya's tiny body resting on the bed. He walked over. She looked exhausted and drained, but sleeping peacefully. He reached for a chair and sat next to her bed. Her belly was partly exposed, a fetal monitor strapped to it. He looked up at the screen. The baby looked bigger now, and he could tell where the head was, the legs. It was so tiny, but it was real. The sound of the heartbeat echoed around the room and the sound made him feel like he was in heaven, briefly.
He looked down at Maya. Picking up her hand, he deposited a kiss on its palm. Trying to sit closer, he reached over and outlined her eyebrow with his thumb. She squirmed a little under his touch, her head moving slightly. It occurred to Elliott that he ought to call Jack, let him know what had happened. But he couldn't leave that room if they paid him to.
He rubbed her belly gently, trying to feel the baby. Looking up at the screen again, he thought the baby must have been sleeping too.
Feeling overwhelmed, he gathered Maya's hand in his own two, almost on the verge of tears after such a huge scare. On his way to the hospital, he couldn't stop thinking about losing the baby or Maya, or both. It had driven him absolutely crazy and he came close to having an accident at least 5 times. It was kind of funny. A couple of years before, he was a slut who hadn't given babies a single thought. Today, that baby was the first thing he thought of when he woke up, and Maya was the last before he went to bed. He had been witness to his friends all hooking up, and creating a family, but not him. It just didn't seem like something Elliott DiMauro would ever do. It wasn't in the cards. But boy was he wrong. After tonight, the mere thought of living without Maya or the baby almost made him lose his mind. As undefined as his relationship with Maya was, they were creating a family, and it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be.
He heard Maya as she drew in a small breath and he looked over. She was struggling to wake up but he knew that the medication was making it hard for her to do so. She opened her eyes just slightly, but he didn't know if she was awake.
"Maya?" he said softly.
She tried to say his name, but it only came out as a whisper.
"It's okay, go back to sleep," he said, kissing her forehead.
But she just tried to stay awake, finally opening her eyes. "The baby."
"The baby's okay," he rubbed her stomach.
She looked around the room, the monitor, and then at him. "I'm sorry."
"Hey, it's not your fault," Elliott said soothingly. "Everything's okay now." He wondered if she really understood what he was saying or if she was hearing him at all. "Are you in pain?"
She just shook her head. "I tried to call you, but you weren't home."
"I had to work late," Elliott shook his head, feeling a little guilty. She closed her eyes and for a moment he thought she had gone back to sleep, but then she opened them again.
"Don't tell dad."
"Maya, I have to call him," Elliott said. "Nobody will be mad at you, okay? Don't be scared."
He didn't get a response from her and he realized she had fallen asleep. Positioning the chair parallel to her bed, he rested his head on the pillow next to hers. The sound of the baby's heart beat kept going on and on until he couldn't hear it anymore and fell asleep.